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Crosaire No: 14606 – Monday, 24 October 2011

Mon, Oct 24, 2011, 23:59

Welcome to the first week of the new Crosaire blog.

Each day I’ll be posting explanations to the clues in the crossword that appeared in the prior day’s paper. Solvers are welcome to post comments on the puzzle, or on anything related to the great Crosaire tradition. If you have a question about a clue that isn’t answered in the explanations I am sure that I, or a fellow solver, can answer it for you. Blog posts appear at midnight, so if you’re up late be sure to drop by!

It has been great hearing from all those folks who cleared Monday’s crossword successfully. I hope those folks who ran into trouble get a chance to peek at the clue explanations, as that should show that there’s hope in persisting! Almost everyone I heard from took longer to solve the Monday puzzle that they are used to on average with Crosaire. That is to be expected as a solver gets used to a new setter, I think.

One consistent piece of feedback was that everyone was pleased to see the Irish references. I might have been a tad heavy in that regard in this first puzzle, but I wanted to get the message across that the flag will be flying in least one spot in every puzzle. It was great to be able include JACK B YEATS in Monday’s puzzle, and go “green” in the clue with LAOIS and “Queen’s County”. The Irish sea turned up in the clue to SEASHELL, and we even had an imaginary N-road in the clue for SKIN DIVER!

But we traipsed around the world as well. The Royal Navy steamed past in the TORNADO, and the celebrated Piers Morgan even showed up with the PIONEERS. We had a French ring in LAOIS, the Italian and a German has a LIE-IN together, and we stopped off for SUSHI in South America.

How did you fare with this crossword?

Across
1 Setback Jay engineered for the oil producer (4,1,5)
JACK B YEATS
“Setback Jay” engineered, for = JACK B YEATS: the oil producer. 6 Fat loud breed of dog! (4) F-LAB
Loud (F) breed of dog (LAB) = FLAB: fat. 10 The French ring is one of 32 a queen once had (5) LA-O-IS
“The” French (LA) ring (O) is (IS) = LAOIS: one of 32, a queen once had (Queen’s County). 11 They’re unlucky there isn’t another way (9) THIRTEENS
“There isn’t” another way = THIRTEENS: they’re unlucky. 12 Irish, red and dead; he’ll see it on the beach (8) SEAS-HE’LL
Irish, Red and Dead (SEAS) he’ll (HELL) = SEASHELL: see it on the beach. 13 Ain’t right the son gets mixed up in it (2,3) I(S NO)T
In “it” (I-T) the “son” gets mixed up (S-NO) = IS NOT: “Ain’t” right. 15 A model for a girlfriend? Once, that’s enough! (7) EX-AMPLE
A girlfriend, once (EX) that’s “enough” (AMPLE) for = EXAMPLE: a model. 17 Uses the keyboard before an alien laid out the letters (7) TYPES-ET
Uses the keyboard (TYPES) before “an alien” (ET) = TYPESET: laid out the letters. 19 Made false statements to own the rest (3-4) LIE-D-OWN
Made false statements (LIED) to “own” (OWN) = LIE-DOWN: the rest. 21 A big blow to the Royal Navy … a party! (7) TO-RN-A-DO
To (TO) the British Navy (RN) a party (A DO) = TORNADO: a big blow. 22 Loud golfer’s shout around the tee (5) FOR(T)E
Golfer’s shout (FOR-E) around “the tee” (T) = FORTE: loud. 24 It might be buried or, as you are told, in a tree (8) TRE(AS-U-R)E
In “a tree” (TRE-E) “as you are” told (AS U R) or = TREASURE: it might be buried. 27 Modifies or opens up by design (2,7) ON PURPOSE
Modifies “or opens up” = ON PURPOSE: by design. 28 How old is the street in front of the theatre? (5) ST-AGE
How old is the street? (ST AGE) = STAGE: in front of the theatre. 29 Go under with a bad act, Kay (4) SIN-K
With “a bad act” (SIN) Kay (K) = SINK: go under. 30 They could be tanked, those skiers taking the N504 (4,6) SKI(N DIV)ERS
Those “skiers” (SKI-ERS) taking “the N504” (N-DIV) = SKIN DIVERS: they could be tanked.

Down
1 Just the first half? Only the second half this month (4)
JU-LY
“JU-st” the first half (JU) “on-LY” the second half (LY) = JULY: this month. 2 Work with someone in the theatre? (9) CO-OPERATE
Work with someone in the theatre (CO-OPERATE) = COOPERATE: work with someone. 3 Basil’s lout is at the foundation (5) BAS-IS
Basil’s (BASILS) L-out (-L) is = BASIS: the foundation 4 Out of context, remember it’s way out there (7) EXTREME
Out of “cont-EXT REME-mber” = EXTREME: it’s way out there. 5 One in three kids stumble with a permit (7) TRIP-LET
Stumble (TRIP) with a “permit” (LET) = TRIPLET: one in three kids. 7 To make a late start the Italian backed a German (3,2) LI-E-IN
“The” Italian, ‘il’, backed (LI) “a” German (EIN) = LIE IN: to make a late start. 8 Busts into a derelict coach depot (3,7) BUS STATION
“Busts into a” derelict = BUS STATION: coach depot. 9 He takes off a piece of film the rep sent back (8) STRIP-PER
A piece of film (STRIP) the “rep” sent back (PER) = STRIPPER: he takes off. 14 Maybe poorly received campanology performances, they make a big splash? (10) BELL-Y FLOPS
Maybe poorly received campanology performances (BELL-Y FLOPS) = BELLY FLOPS: they make a big splash. 16 Mr. Morgan swallows one for the non-drinkers (8) PI(ONE)ERS
Mr. Morgan (PI-ERS) swallows “one” (ONE) for = PIONEERS: the non-drinkers. 18 Anyhow, it’s car, sea or a flight (9) STAIRCASE
Anyhow “it’s car, sea”, or = STAIRCASE: a flight. 20 Perhaps like catching butterflies for an organisation (7) NET-WORK
Perhaps like catching butterflies (NET WORK) for = NETWORK: an organisation. 21 Into that then, around about one? (7) THE(RE-I)N
Then (THE-N) around “about one” (RE I) = THEREIN: into that. 23 Mature and deaden? (5) RIP-EN
Dead-en? (RIP-EN) and = RIPEN: mature. 25 South America gets his endless oriental food (5) S-US-HI
South (S) America (US) gets “HI-s” endless (HI) = SUSHI: oriental food. 26 Charges not seen in fetes (4) FEES
no-T seen in “FE-t-ES” = FEES: charges.